


Sign

by kv_panda_red



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ASL, Angst, Deaf AU, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pinning, Sign Language, deaf! Lance au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-21 23:51:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11955330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kv_panda_red/pseuds/kv_panda_red
Summary: Language barriers are the worst. Especially when its because one of them can barely talk and Sign Language is HARD.





	Sign

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to learn a bit of asl but IM NOT KIDDING ITS SO HARD

Keith was leaving the library after a small study session. He felt responsible for once ever since he got to Altea University. Even though all he did was read a few chapters of an assigned book, he felt responsible. He made his way to The Lioness Café. He got his usual: a nice cup of coffee with almond milk. He took his time, he liked to savor his drink, especially when it was still hot. He was sat by a window enjoying the nice view of the campus grounds. The best part about going to Altea U was the fact that they were very indulgent in keeping the Earth intact. There were recycling bins in every corner and trees lining the path. If there weren’t trees it was surely coated with flowers. To put a cherry on top The Lioness café was in the middle of campus where there was the most vegetation. Keith took a long sip of his coffee and looked at his phone to check the time. 10:55am…Wait! He’s gonna be late for his lecture!  
“Shit.” He mumbled. “Allura!”  
“Yes, Keith?”  
“I’m gonna need a rain check on the cinnamon bun I ordered. I’m late! See you later!”  
“Of course! Go get your education! See you later!” She waved and he waved back and left.  
He quickly texted Pidge, a childhood friend of his, that he might be late and to save a seat for him. He hit send and bumped right into someone, spilling his remaining coffee on both of them.  
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” said Keith even though it was probably his fault considering he was the one who was on his phone. The boy just flailed his arms around.  
“Are you okay? The coffee wasn’t that hot anymore.” The boy once again just flailed his arms around. “What are you, mute?” then the boy squinted and crossed his arms. Then he took a deep breath.  
In a strained voice he said: “I-I’m de-deaf.”  
“Oh.” Keith said eyes wide. Keith racked his brain. He had learned a little sign language back in middle school. There was an exchange student from Illinois that was mute. The whole school had to learn ‘Hi, my name is-‘, ‘Thank you’, ‘You’re welcome’, ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Sorry’, ‘Goodbye’ and the alphabet. He was a bit rusty but he could probably remember.  
He finally remembered. So he signed: ‘Hi, my name is Keith. Sorry.’ The boy seemed to perk up when Keith used sign language. He seemed shocked.  
‘Hi, my name is Lance. It’s okay. You know sign?’ Lance signed back, but Keith only understood the first part. He tried very hard to try and understand but it was useless.  
‘Sorry.’ He signed again. Lance looked at him confused. “I know very little sign.” Keith said, trying to make up his own signs with each word. Lances expression seemed to drop.  
“I’ve got to go.” Said Keith. “Once again,” ‘sorry’ he signed. “See you around!” he said and quickly picked up the cup along with its lid from the floor. The he left, but not before signing ‘Goodbye’.  
He was right, he was late for his lecture, especially after his interaction with Lance. It was, as usual, a very boring lecture. Pidge later gave him notes they’d taken before he arrived. And obviously, asked for an excuse.  
“I was having coffee at Lioness’s and I didn’t realize I was late. Then I bumped into some deaf guy named Lance. Spilled my coffee all over him and then proceeded to rack my brain for any sign language. It was really awkward.” They were walking back to The Lioness Café to get lunch.  
“At least you got to put some of that stupid sign language to use. I still don’t understand why they made everyone learn. I never even came across that kid.”  
“But hey, you never know. It came in handy in the end. I got to tell the kid I was sorry for spilling my coffee over him. You might meet Lance someday. I don’t know?”  
“Well, let’s hope not, because I can barely remember the alphabet. Besides they made me learn Katie instead of Pidge. I wouldn’t be able to tell him my name.” They arrived at the café.  
“Allura!” said Pidge.  
“Pidge!”  
“Allura!” said Keith.  
“Keith!” Keith took a look at today’s lunch menu. “Anything, you like?”  
“I thing I’ll have number 3.” He said giving the menu to Pidge.  
“Wait! Let our new guy take out order. You need to tell him what number with your hands though.” Allura said excitedly going to the back.  
“What?” he said confused. Then Allura walked out, dragging by the wrist none other than Lance. “Yo, Pidge,” he whispered. “That’s him.”  
“What?”  
“Lance.” Pidges adjusted their glasses.  
“This is my little brother Lance! He’s deaf but, he’s the best guy in the world. I thought he would like to work here. He said he wouldn’t like to but I forced him.” Lance looked at Keith in surprise. He signed ‘Hi, Keith.’ Keith signed ‘Hi.’ In return.  
“I’ll have number three.” Keith said making a three with his hand.  
‘Lunch menu?’ Lance signed.  
“Umm..?”  
Lance pointed at the paper Pidge was holding, then at the menu in the back.  
“He’s asking if it’s from the lunch menu or the regular menu.” Allura said over Lance’s shoulder.  
“Oh!” then he pointed to the menu in Pidges hand. Lance nodded and looked over to Pidge.  
“It’s a separate order.” Said Pidge. Allura tapped Lance in the shoulder and signed it to him, he nodded.  
‘Drink?’ he signed. Keith looked at Allura for help.  
“Drink. What to drink?”  
“Water.” Allura signed it to Lance once again. He nodded.  
‘Number 3 with water?’ Lance signed to Allura. She nodded.  
‘Go tell Hunk and Coran in the kitchen.’ She signed. Lance left as instructed.  
“Sorry, if it’s a bother. I just really want him to have a stable job. Like a regular kid. He wanted to work at an office, what a weirdo. He wanted the easy way.”  
“It’s okay Allura.”  
“Thank you. That’ll be $6.50.” Keith handed her the money and let Pidge order, whilst he sat down at their usual table. Pidge joined him soon enough. After a few minutes Lance came over to their table with the food.  
‘Have a nice meal.’ He signed. Pidge looked at Keith for help just he looked at them for help too.  
“Have a nice meal! That’s what he said!” yelled Allura from behind the counter.  
“Oh.” ‘Thank you’ Keith signed. Lance beamed and left.  
Lance was a nice guy. Keith could tell, even though he’d just met him. The way he lit up when he saw someone he didn’t know do sign language. The way he tried really hard to understand what you were saying despite having to go through the trouble of reading your lips. It was no easy feat, being Lance. And yet, he always looked happy, Keith noticed. Even when he spilled his coffee all over him this morning, Lance only seemed in a frenzy to apologize. He realized during his lecture that Lance was signing ‘sorry’ the whole time. And there Keith thought he was just flailing his arms like a madman. He found himself staring at Allura and Lance conversing in sign. If only he knew what they were saying. He bet Allura was congratulating him on his first order. Or on how great he was doing so far. Or-  
“Earth to Keith Kogay.”  
“Wh-what?”  
“You spaced out hard dude.”  
“Sorry. I was just thinking.”  
“Wow, don’t strain yourself. Don’t want my best friend to hurt his tiny little brain.”  
“Last week you said that if I was run over you’d be driving said car and now you don’t want my little brain to get hurt?”  
“It called friendship Keith. Look it up.” Keith gaze found its way back to the two siblings behind the counter. “What were you thinking about?”  
“Nothin’” he said in automatic mode.  
“Those gay thoughts hitting you again?”  
“What?! No!” Keith said, though he could feel a contradictory blush creeping.  
“Really?”  
“Yes, I was just thinking about what they’re saying to each other. I wish I knew.”  
“Okay…I believe you, for now. There is a reason you earned the nickname Keith Kogay.”  
“Oh, shut up.”  
They ate and left. Keith took a few more lectures and got to his apartment. He texted Pidge: ‘I wanna learn sign now’. In which they replied: ‘Remember curiosity killed the cat’. He replied: ‘but the satisfaction revived it. don’t use metaphors against an english literature major.’ Ending the short conversation. So he looked up ASL tutorials on YouTube. He learned a few basics, besides what he already knew. He refreshed himself with the alphabet. He learned how to say his usual order at The Lioness Café. He learned how to sign numbers. He learned day to day phrases: ‘How was your day?’, ‘Good’, ‘Bad’, etc. Then he found himself looking for sign classes nearby. Altea had and ASL class, but you had to be a major in teaching or nursing. It also didn’t apply to his scholarship. He found one but it was a little far away and: one, he didn’t have a car and, two, he didn’t have the money. He thought; maybe Allura could teach him.  
The next day he went to the café as usual to get his morning coffee. He saw Allura at the counter, he thought he could talk to her, perfect!  
“Allura!” she looked up from her phone.  
“Keith! Perfect! Lance just got here!”  
“What?” but before he even finished she was in the kitchen, looking for her brother. She came back. For the first time Lance didn’t look so happy. He even tried to go back to the kitchen. Keith held in a laugh.  
‘Hi, Keith.’ Lance signed. He briefly smiled.  
‘Hi, Lance.’ Keith took a deep breath and tried to remember his order, last night. ‘Coffee. Almond milk.’ He signed. Lance smiled wide. He nodded.  
‘$2.’ Lance signed excitedly. Keith handed him the money and sat down.  
He saw that Lance ran to the back to get Allura. He signed something, he tried to understand but only caught the word coffee. She signed something that made Lance blush, which made Keith really want to know what she said. Lance rolled his eyes and seemed to deny whatever she said. He signed something else that once again said coffee. Then Allura started helping him prepare coffee. Keith thought about his free time, when could he learn sign with Allura. He had to work on Fridays and Saturdays and he had Sunday off. So, maybe Sundays. The café was closed on Sundays which meant she probably had a day off too. Though she probably used that day to spend with her family. He would have to ask, really. Lance tapped his shoulder.  
“Oh” ‘Thank you’ he signed as Lance gave him his coffee. Lance also gave him a cinnamon bun.  
“I didn’t order-“  
“The one you ordered yesterday!” said Allura.  
‘Have a nice meal’ Lance signed and he was about to go but Keith grabbed his sleeve.  
“Can you tell Allura to come here?” Lance squinted, then he smiled and nodded.  
Lance walked behind the counter to tell Allura. There was a small conversation, in which Lance blushed again but this time he gave Allura a small shove. Allura said one last thing and headed over to Keith.  
“So, my brother tells me you want to talk?”  
“I want to learn sign language.”  
“Oh, wow, straight forward.”  
“Yeah. It’s just Lance sparked curiosity in me. I want to understand him better. Hold a conversation with him without such a barrier. Besides its interesting.”  
“I mean, it’s understandable. The thing is, sign language isn’t easy. There’s a whole other sentence structure, you have to always make sure you’re saying what you mean. Keith, curiosity killed the cat-“  
“But the satisfaction revived it.” Allura rolled her eyes.  
“Okay, but I don’t know. When are we gonna have lessons?”  
“Well, I’m assuming that you are free on Sundays?”  
“Yes.”  
“So am I. Maybe an hour a day or something. I’ll even pay you!”  
“Oh, please Keith. Don’t pay me. In any case I’d pay you. Being friends with my brother, which I’m assuming is your goal, it’s not easy. Sometimes I don’t even want to be friends with him. sign language is exhausting especially when he talks so much. He’s always talking. It gets hard to follow. When we were growing up I would lash out at him because I couldn’t understand his frantic signs. I love him, I do, but he’s a handful. Besides Keith, I know as a fact you are pretty broke.”  
“Well, thank you.” The little bell at the door rung. Announcing a customer arrived.  
“I got to get this or else Lance will freak out. Call me.”  
“Isn’t Lance officially working here?”  
“At the moment I only let him attend regulars that’s are patient, like you. Maybe we’ll get there someday.” Then she left.  
That day he went to work and was distracted all day. He was thinking about learning sign language and becoming friends with Lance. Lance seemed like such a carefree guy despite His disability, Keith really admired that. It reminded him of his brother, Takeshi. He’d lost his arm in a car accident that killed their mother. Yet, Takeshi was always happy. He was always smiling. Whenever he was stressed he would call Matt and talk and his worries would melt away. Then he’d be smiling again. Thinking of his brother made him think if Lance had always been like this. Probably, but what if he went through a lifesaving surgery that cost him his hearing? A little dramatic. What if a sea witch took it and the only cure was true loves k—that’s kind of the plot of The Little Mermaid.  
When he got back to his apartment he called Allura.  
“Hey, Allura.”  
“Hey, Keith. You want to talk about the lessons?”  
“Yes.”  
“So, I was thinking and maybe you could come over to my place on Sunday.”  
“Where do you live?”  
“I live close to campus, I’m pretty sure you could walk. Maybe half an hour or less. Though, you could drive if you’re lazy. I’ll send you a pin.”  
“Is there like a bus that can take me there?”  
“Not that I know of. Why?”  
“I don’t drive.”  
“You don’t know how to drive? Haven’t you played Mario Kart?”  
“No, it’s not like that. I mean, I don’t know how drive, I’ve never driven a real car. I just don’t like it. Its…personal.”  
“Hmm… well, you told me you had a brother, right?”  
“Yeah, but he doesn’t drive either. The only one in the family that still drives if my father, but he can’t really drive since he’s on the other side of the country.”  
“Why doesn’t your brother drive? You said he was older.”  
“Like I said, it personal.”  
“What about your mom?” Keith froze. Should he tell Allura the truth or sugar coat it. I mean Allura was his friend, he shouldn’t just lie to her. Specially about his dead mother. “Keith? You still there?”  
“Yeah, I’m here. My mom-she’s- my mom passed away ten years ago.”  
“Oh…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“  
“It’s fine. You didn’t know.”  
“Well, in any case Lance or I can come pick you up. Oh, speak of the devil, wait a sec.” The line went quiet for a few seconds. “Lance is asking for your num-” then it was muffled out.  
“What?”  
“Lance get off me!”  
“Are you ok?”  
“Yes, I am ok. Lance just, you know, tackled me to the ground.”  
“Geez.”  
“You still want to be friends with him?” she laughed.  
“What was Lance asking?”  
“Oh, forget about it. You’re single right?”  
“W-what?”  
“Are you single?”  
“I don’t really swing your way Allura, you know that, maybe ask Pidge.”  
“You, idiot. Well, I have to get going. I have to cook dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“Well, bye.”  
“Bye. Lance says bye too!” and she hung up.  
He went the next to the Café for his usual coffee. The usual routine. He talked to Allura about his ride to the lessons. Then, the next day, he went to his lessons with Allura. He learned some new words and the theory. The sentence structure. Though it was hard for him to focus when Lance was reading a book right next to them the whole time. He had read that book, he loved it. It made him want to learn sign even more. He wanted to talk to Lance.  
After about four weeks of learning, Allura decided to put Lance’s presence to use. Keith came in expecting to have a regular lesson, but Allura had plans.  
“Okay, Keith. Now, Lance will take over the lesson.”  
“What.”  
“Think of it as a test. Plus, you can spark up a conversation. Even if you are a bit rusty on the edges I bet you’ll impress him with how much you’ve learned in just one month.”  
“I don’t think I’m ready. Maybe one more month?”  
“Well, I think you’re ready and I’m the one that decides when you take the test.”  
“You couldn’t have given me a heads up before?!”  
“No. I like the element of surprise.” She turned to the corner of the room, where Lance was. She grabbed a notebook nearby. She ripped off a page, crumbled it and threw it at Lance. Lance let out a startled noise.  
‘What?’ he signed.  
‘It’s time for Keith to have his test.’ She signed. Lance set down his book and went over to the sofa. Allura stood up and left to the kitchen.  
‘Hi.’ Lance signed.  
‘Hi.’ Lance thought for a moment.  
‘What are your hobbies?’ Keith tilted his head in confusion, ‘What do you like to do?’  
Keith thought maybe reading would be a good approach but his hands did this. ‘Boys.’ Really Keith? Lance blushed and giggled. Keith giggled too, Lances giggle was so adorable he couldn’t help but laugh along.  
‘No, really. Besides boys’  
‘I like to read.’  
‘Me too!’  
‘I know.’ Lance furrowed his brow. Keith pointed over to the stack of book on the coffee table.  
‘When I can’t talk, I read.’  
‘Have you tried talking?’ Lance simply nodded. ‘Why not now?’  
‘It’s hard.’  
‘So is sign language.’ Lance crossed his arms and pouted. Keith laughed.  
‘I sound weird.’ Keith looked confused. ‘Not talking.’ This time Keith pouted.  
‘I sign. You talk.’ Keith held out his hand. Lance hesitated but shook his hand.  
“Everything alright?” said Allura peeking around the corner.  
“Yup!” Keith said giving Allura a thumbs up. She left. Lance cleared his throat. He took a deep breath; he was about to say something but he backed out. He hid his face in his hands. Keith took his hands out of his face.  
‘You can.’ He signed once Lance looked at him. He did the same thing again, but this time he talked.  
“W-what do I even say?” it sounded strained, scared, a little off, but nonetheless it fit him perfectly. Keith smiled. Lance smiled. Then they laughed.  
Whenever Keith went to The Lioness café he was greeted by Lance. But, instead of in sign, Lance talked. Each day his pronunciation got better. He would only say ‘Hi, Keith’ or ‘Hey guys!’ when Pidge tagged along, but you could tell the improvement. Allura was very proud. She ended up thanking Keith for encouraging Lance to talk. Keith would talk to him in sign and he was also improving very much. He was getting more and more fluent.  
They were both very much developing feeling for the other. On Lances behalf, no had ever been so nice and encouraging towards him. Not to mention, the last person to even learn sign language for him was Hunk. Still, it took Hunk a month to finally make a move and decide that writing to each other in notes was too much of a hassle. Not to mention Hunk was his best friend! Keith was a guy he’d known for barely 4 months. On Keiths end, it was more or less everything about the boy. His voice was absolutely precious. He was so expressive. Not to mention he was good looking too! I mean, it was hard not to fall for Lance McClain.  
Lance, though at first a little shy, grew very much comfortable around Keith. After a while he stopped changing from his pajamas on Keith’s lessons. One day, Lance decided he would make a move. He knew Keith was gay, so he wasn’t worried about that. He was obviously worried though if he like him. I mean, just because Keith was gay it didn’t mean he liked every boy. Still, Lance felt courageous, he thought of a cheesy pick up line and wrote it on Keith cup. He took a deep breath and walked over to Keith’s table. He quickly said ‘I hope you like it.’ And left as soon as possible. He went all the way to Hunk. He got to the kitchen and immediately regretted it.  
“Ahh!” he said.  
‘What’s wrong?’ signed Hunk.  
‘I pulled a move on Keith, but I immediately regret it.’  
‘What did you do?’  
‘I wrote ‘I like you a latte’ in his cup, along with my number.’  
‘I mean, if he’s into cheesy pick-up lines you won him over. If he’s not…’  
“Ahh!”  
‘Calm down.’ Hunk walked over to the window on the kitchen door. Hunk smiled. ‘Come over here.’ Lance made his way over to the window. ‘Look.’ He looked out and saw Keith with his face on the table. Lance held in a laugh. Keith looked up and, Lance noticed, he was blushing mad. He took his phone out, took a photo and proceeded to spam his keyboard. Lance could only assume he was texting someone about it. It was Pidge.  
‘I think he fell for the pick-up line.’ signed Hunk.  
‘Really?’ Lance signed in worry.  
‘Why would anyone blush at that terrible pick-up line?’  
‘I spent two days thinking of it!’  
‘Ok.’ Hunk looked out the window, then he got a devilish grin. Hunk grabbed Lances wrist and dragged him out of the kitchen. Lance tried to resist, but Hunk was strong. Hunk dragged him off and sat him down on Keith’s table. Keith looked up and blushed.  
“Hi,” said Hunk “I’m Hunk. Lance’s best friend. I’ll support you, unless you break his heart, I’ll kill you.” Lance punched his side. “Ow!” ‘I’m just looking out for you.’ He signed to Lance. Lance rolled his eyes. Hunk left to the kitchen.  
‘Hi.’ Keith signed.  
“H-hi.” Lance said.  
‘I like you a latte.’ Keith said, with a questioning look. Lance hid his face in embarrassment. Keith laughed. He tapped Lances shoulder, making him look up.  
‘It was for me?’ Lance nodded. Keith blushed even harder. Keith looked for something in his bag. He took out a pen and a piece of paper. He wrote something hurriedly. He gave the paper to Lance, then he signed goodbye and left the café. The paper had Keith’s phone number in messy writing.  
That night Lance texted Keith, Keith texted back and they talked. It was obviously so much easier to talk in text than in real life. They didn’t have the barrier. Keith only knew some sign and Lance sometimes mispronounced things and it sounded like gibberish. They got the opportunity to talk more in depth, with the limited vocabulary they had in real life it was so much better for free expression. Lance finally found out what major Keith was in. He found out he had a scholarship. Keith found out Lance didn’t go to school.  
Lance was actually very smart; he went to a special school. It was a school for people with disabilities, such as deafness, blindness or muteness that were still very bright people. It was basically and advanced school for the disabled. Hunk apparently used to be disabled, he was fine at birth but throughout the years lost eyesight at an alarming rate. By the age of 10 he was legally blind. Thankfully his family was fairly rich, which allowed him to get eye surgery at the age of 15, which is when he met Lance. He stayed in the school even though he wasn’t disabled anymore.  
Lance was apparently really into memes. Lots of memes. So many references. Keith just thought that maybe he didn’t know how to say them in real life, which he was proven wrong the next day. Lance, not only drew a pepe frog on Keith’s cup, he said ‘very coffee, much sweet, like you’. That last part, sadly, made Keith blush. In moments like that he realized how weak he was to pick-up lines. Or just guys flirting with him. A hobo could tell him his hair looked good, and if the hobo said it genuinely, he would blush. Now, since it was Lance, it was hard to do anything but blush.  
Although they flirted pretty much 24/7, they hadn’t done much besides texting and, well, flirting. They kind of knew about the others feelings but neither knew how to act. One day Keith, decided to make a move. When Lance went to give him his coffee, he didn’t let him go. Lance stopped albeit confused.  
‘Can we talk?’ signed a nervous Keith.  
“Yeah.”  
‘I like you, you like me… a latte.’ Lance rolled his eyes, ‘I was thinking we should go out.’ Lance looked surprised. Then he looked confused.  
“On a date?”  
‘Yes’ Lance looked surprised again. Then he blushed.  
“Really?”  
‘Yes.’ Keith smiled.  
“This isn’t a joke.” Lance cocked an eyebrow.  
‘Not a joke.’ Lance smiled. ‘So?’  
‘I’d love to.’ Keith smiled.  
They went out for ice cream that weekend. Then the next week, they went bowling. The next they went to the beach. They kept going on dates. They practically became a power couple around their group of friends. Pidge would always ask for pictures or ‘it didn’t happen’ and so would Hunk. Allura was practically in love with their relationship, Lance never really went out and Keith was letting him go out there. When Keith went to their place for his ‘lessons’ it really just turned into them hanging out. Keith stopped taking lessons at some point and just started picking up on things from Lance and Allura along the way.  
They mostly talked a lot through text, since it was easier, but in person they still did talk a lot. The most they could. Lance got better at reading lips and didn’t have to squint as much. Keith got more fluent in sign. Lance stopped actually talking as much because it was too much for him, Keith didn’t complain, he understood Lance pretty much the same either way.  
After 5 months of dating and becoming closer and closer, Lance decided he should make a move. Neither of them had said I love you. They both knew they loved each other, but those two helpless cases still blushed when they kissed! One day, they were home alone, Allura was running errands. They were cuddling, watching a movie (with subtitles so Lance could understand). Emperor’s New Groove, in case you were wondering, because romance. Lance, couldn’t quite focus on the movie, he couldn’t help but look at Keith. The lights were off, the only light from the T.V, giving Keith a glow. His eyes were shining. Lance spent a few minutes like this, admiring Keith, then he tapped Keith on the shoulder. Keith looked at him expectantly. Lance took a deep breath.  
‘I…’ Lance looked away, suddenly losing the determination he had a few seconds ago.  
“What?” Keith said, making Lance look at him again. “You what?”  
‘We’ve been together for almost six months and I just felt like it was appropriate to say that I love you, because I do.’ Lance signed, way too fast for Keith to understand.  
“What? You signed too fast.” Keith shifted a bit so he could look at Lance better.  
‘We’ve been together for almost six months,’ Lance signed, a little slower. He looked at Keith for approval, after Keith nodded he continued, ‘and I just felt it would be appropriate to say that I love you, because I do.’ Lance said, not so slow this time. Keith didn’t understand once again. Keith pouted, which made Lance panic.  
“Still, too fast. Maybe if you say it, rather than sign it?”  
‘No!’ Lance signed, frantically. If he was having a hard time in sign how could he say it out loud?  
“Okay? Just do it slower.”  
‘I felt it would be appropriate,’ Lance signed slowly, but Keith looked confused.  
“I felt it would be…? I don’t know that word.” Lance let out a frustrated sound. “Geez, sorry for not knowing every single sign.” Keith crossed his arms.  
‘I felt it would be okay.’ Lance signed, too fast.  
“Too fast.” Lance sighed.  
‘I felt it would be okay.’ He signed slowly. Keith looked at him expectantly. ‘To say that I love you.’ Lance signed. Keith didn’t understand.  
“I’m sorry but I don’t understand.” Lance let out another frustrated noise. “I’m sorry!”  
‘I love you!’ Lance signed, fast.  
“I don’t understand!” Lance let out another noise. “Look, I’ve been patient! Why can’t you be patient with me!” Lance crossed his arms. “Oh, really?” Keith to a deep breath. “Why can’t we just watch the movie? Tell me later.” Keith said and turned back to the T.V. Lance made him look at him again.  
‘No.’  
“Why not?!”  
‘Because I want to tell you.’  
“Well, I can’t understand shit, so what’s the point?!” Keith was losing his patience.  
‘Why can’t you understand something so simple?’ Lance was getting sad.  
“Well, I’m not expert! I started learning sign language this year!”  
‘But it’s so simple!’  
“I’m sorry that I’m not deaf and I didn’t grow up learning!” Lance gasped. “I gotta go.” Keith said getting up to leave.  
“But, wait-“  
“Oh so now you’re talking!” Keith grabbed his jacket a left. Lance felt his eyes sting. A few seconds later Allura walked in.  
‘What’s up? I just saw Keith walk down the hall. He looked pretty ma-’Allura stopped when she saw her brother near tears. ‘What happened?’  
‘I tried to tell him how I felt but he didn’t understand and he just got up and left.’  
‘I’m so sorry Lance. How ab- ‘  
“Maybe, I just shouldn’t date.” Lance said, shocking Allura. ‘The language barrier will tear us apart; like this.’ Lance signed and left to his room.  
The next day Lance didn’t go to work, Allura let him stay. Allura waited all day for Keith to go by, but he didn’t. He probably thought Lance would be there. She talked to Lance and he said they didn’t explicitly brake up, so she was confused as to why he didn’t come. When she got home, she found Lance sobbing his eyes out.  
‘What happened?’  
‘I broke up with Keith.’  
‘Why the hell would you do that?’  
‘It’s not going to work out. What happened will keep happening and I can’t bear with it. I tried to tell him I loved him and he didn’t understand. What’s next? I ask him to marry me and he doesn’t understand? I can’t be in a relationship, Allura.’  
‘That is ridiculous.’ Allura grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of their apartment.  
She quickly texted Pidge, to ask where they were. Lord knows they were with Keith so she headed there. She dragged Lance all the way there. Then she shoved him into the room and didn’t let him run away. Lance couldn’t bear to look at Keith. He had puffy red eyes from crying, his hair was an absolute mess and he had two pints of ice cream next to him. Once lance stopped trying to get away, Allura signed:  
‘Go make up. I know you love him and he loves you. You can’t do this to yourself.’ Allura made him turn around and face Keith.  
“Hi.” Said Keith.  
“Hi.” Said Lance. There was a small silence.  
“I’m sorry.” They said at the same time.  
“Why are you sorry?” said Lance.  
“I shouldn’t have stormed out like that. You know, sometimes I get hotheaded and I do thing I shouldn’t. I’m sorry.”  
“I’m sorry for breaking up with you for something so stupid. I let my insecurities get to me. I’m sorry.”  
“I’m sorry for not letting you sign what you wanted to tell me. It was probably important and I shouldn’t have… done what I did.”  
“It’s fine. It’s my fault. I was overreacting. I should’ve just said it out loud. I know that you don’t know that much sign and I should’ve just talked.” Lance went over to Keith and opened his arms. Keith obliged and hugged him. “By the way, what I wanted to say was… that I love you.” Keith pulled away a little from the hug.  
“Really?”  
“Yes, I do. I love you, Keith.”  
“I love you too, Lance.” Keith said and pulled Lance into a kiss.  
“Well, I’m out. As sweet as that was I don’t want to see them make out.” Said Pidge, walking over to Allura.  
“Same here. Wanna go watch a movie or something at my place? I have a feeling Lance is staying over.” Allura said closing the door behind them.  
“I’d love to. But wait a second.” Pidge looked for something in their room. They came out with a box of condoms.  
“Why do you have that?” Allura said, raising an eyebrow.  
“Let’s just say when I want something I get it.” Pidge opened Keith’s door and threw the box on the bed. “Use protection! And don’t worry, these are extra lubricated!”  
Allura was right, Lance came back the next morning inexplicably happy. Allura had her guesses as to why.


End file.
